Broker Fraud Attorneys in Champaign, Illinois
Are you concerned about investment losses with your Champaign, Illinois broker or financial advisor? If so, the national securities attorneys at the White Law Group may be able to help you. The White Law Group, LLC, a national securities fraud, securities arbitration, investor protection, and securities regulation/compliance law firm, has offices in Chicago, Illinois and Seattle, Washington.
With offices in Chicago, Illinois, the White Law Group handles securities fraud cases throughout the state of Illinois, including reviewing securities fraud cases in Peoria, Springfield, Champaign, Decatur, Aurora and Rockford. All cases in the Midwest portion of the United States are administered out of FINRA’s Chicago, Illinois Dispute Resolution office.
Under Illinois law, all securities offered or sold in the state must be registered prior to offer or sale, unless exempt by law. The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996 redefined which securities required state registration. Generally, all national offerings listed on the major exchanges and all mutual funds, as well as securities sold to qualified purchasers are now solely under the regulatory jurisdiction of the SEC.
How do you know if you are a victim of investment fraud/broker fraud?
Broker fraud is a term that can be used to broadly define the abuse of a customer’s investment portfolio by a stockbroker and/or broker-dealer. Examples are excessively trading of the account (churning), overconcentration (purchasing only a few stocks, or stocks all in one financial sector), and the sale of unsuitable investments such as non-traded REITs, oil and gas limited partnerships, Business Development Companies, Unit Investment Trusts.
Large losses do not necessarily prove your broker’s wrongdoing; they could merely be the result of market forces. It can be difficult or almost impossible to tell if you’ve been defrauded unless you consult with a securities attorney. The following are some possible red flags:
- Your broker fails to return your calls.
- You don’t understand the transactions on your statements.
- You find transactions on your account statements that you did not previously authorize.
- Your broker fails to disclose important information regarding an investment purchase.
- Your broker begins trading in high risk and speculative investments.
- You are paying capital gains taxes when your account value is decreasing.
- As a guideline, if you are retired and have lost more than 15% of your account in a single year or have suffered large losses in a single security, you should have someone review your account to determine if the investments selected by your financial professional are in keeping with your investment objectives.
Illinois Division of Financial Institutions
The Illinois Securities Department regulates the offer and sale of securities pursuant to the Illinois Securities Law of 1953. The department registers securities offerings, broker-dealers, investment advisers and their sales- persons and representatives, loan brokers, business brokers and those who offer and sell business opportunities. If you feel you have been a victim of securities fraud, you may file a complaint as soon as possible and consider seeking legal advice.
Recover Investment Fraud Losses through FINRA Arbitration and Mediation
State regulators are often limited in how much they can help in recovery of investment losses. Broker-dealers, firms which market investments to the public, are also regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).
FINRA Dispute Resolution is an arbitration venue for investors across the country with claims against their brokerage firm or financial professional. ?It provides investors with an opportunity to attempt to recoup their investment losses without filing such claims in court.
Brokerage firms are required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to disclose all the risks of an investment prior to making recommendations to an individual investor. Recommendations should only be made if the investment is suitable for an individual investor given their age, investment objections, investment experience and risk tolerance.
Brokerage firms that do not perform adequate due diligence on an investment and/or make unsuitable recommendations can be held accountable for investment losses through FINRA arbitration
FINRA Attorneys in Champaign Illinois – the White Law Group
The White Law Group, LLC is a national securities fraud, securities arbitration, investor protection, and securities regulation/compliance law firm dedicated to helping investors in claims in all 50 states against their financial professional or brokerage firm. Since the firm launched in 2010, it has handled over 700 FINRA arbitration cases.
Our firm represents investors in Champaign Illinois in all types of securities related claims, including claims involving stock fraud, broker misrepresentation, churning, unsuitable investments, selling away, and unauthorized trading, among many others.
With over 40 years of securities law experience, including experience working at FINRA and the SEC, The White Law Group has the expertise to help Champaign investors defrauded in securities, investment and financial business transactions attempt to recover their investment losses.
The firm reviews securities fraud cases throughout Illinois, and across the country. If you have questions about investments you made in Champaign, Illinois, the securities attorneys of The White Law Group may be able to help. For a free consultation, call the firm’s Chicago office at 888-637-5510.
For more information on The White Law Group, please visit our website at https://whitesecuritieslaw.com.
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